AQA GCSE History key terms

Someone who believes society and government should follow a strict interpretation of Islamic religious law and accepts violence as a means of achieving this.

A policy of avoiding commitments that could draw a country into other countries’ conflicts.

A style of music developed by African American musicians from traditions including blues and ragtime; it became closely associated with dancing and youthful social freedom in the 1920s.

State and local laws that enforced racial segregation and restricted African Americans' rights in the American South.

Aggressive patriotism that supports asserting national power through threats, military action or conquest.

The classification of a job into a pay grade through an assessment of its demands, such as the skill required.

A company funded by investors who share the financial risks and hope to receive a share of its profits.

Wealthy Prussian landowning aristocrats who held influential positions in the army and government and generally defended conservative, authoritarian rule.

A group of local people sworn to report suspected offences and offenders to royal justices, rather than deliver the final trial verdict.

A local official responsible for administering justice and carrying out government policies, including measures concerning poverty.

The ruler of the German Empire; Wilhelm II became Kaiser in 1888.

A fortified tower within a castle, providing a defensible stronghold.

The 1928 international agreement rejecting war as an instrument of national policy and committing its signatories to settle disputes peacefully.

Surgery performed through small cuts using a camera and specialised instruments.

A collective farm on which peasants pooled land, livestock and equipment and worked under state supervision.

The German Communist Party, which sought to replace capitalism with a communist system through revolution.

The Nazi-organised violence against Jews in November 1938, during which synagogues and businesses were attacked and about 30,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps.

An uprising against Bolshevik rule by sailors at the Kronstadt naval base near Petrograd in March 1921.

A racist organisation which promoted white Protestant supremacy and used intimidation and violence against African Americans and other targeted groups.

A relatively prosperous peasant. Under Stalin, the label was also applied to many ordinary peasants who resisted collectivisation.

An ethnic group whose population lives across several Middle Eastern states, including Iraq, Turkey and Iran. Kurdish movements sought self-government or an independent state.

An approach favouring limited government interference. In welfare policy, it placed greater responsibility on individuals and charities rather than the state.

The language of Church worship and much formal learning in medieval western Europe.

The Nazi girls’ organisation, also called the League of German Maidens, which promoted loyalty to Hitler and preparation for motherhood.

The international organisation created after the First World War to encourage cooperation and resolve disputes peacefully.

The Nazi aim of acquiring ‘living space’ for Germans, particularly through expansion into eastern Europe.

The lasting effects of imperial rule after colonies become independent, including migration, cultural connections and international relationships.